Missions Strategy in the 21st Century

Back in the mid-1990’s I began learning about the 10/40 Window, the area of the world between the 10th and 40th Latitudes…a swath of geography that covered North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia. I learned that this region of the world hosted the highest number of un-reached peoples groups. In 1998 I led a group from the church we had started in El Paso to visit the 10/40 Window to learn about this region and discover ways we might serve in this area of the world. This region of the world was said to have the poorest of the poor on the planet as well. Phillip Jenkins, in his landmark book, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, underscores the reality of a shifting Christianity moving to the global south (Latin America, Africa, and Asia) by 2050. My own observation of this movement is that it is already happening. So what are the implications of this movement for American Christianity with all our resources?

I have returned from my second trip to this region of the world. North Africa and the Middle East. While I was there I was reading a book for a doctoral seminar I am doing in “Leading Change.” The book is written by Darrow L. Miller entitled Discipling the Nations: The Power of Truth to Transform Cultures. I was so encouraged that I finished this book. I began writing a summary of the basic ideas and came across a concept that helped frame all that I was experiencing on this trip. Miller says that “any strategy to reach those unreached with the gospel must also be a strategy to reach the poor.”

Most of my ministry has focused on missions, evangelism, and church planting. My doctoral studies in Missiology helped me learn about strategies to get this work done. It was an excellent education. However, I was not prepared to contend with a missiological strategy that faced the issue of poverty head on. My business education and experience help me to look at poverty from a systemic perspective and causes me to wonder how church planting, evangelism, and missions strategy can blend together with humanitarian efforts to serve the poorest of the poor.

My visits to Egypt and Palestine bring these issues to the fore. Are we really using our resources wisely when it comes to reaching the poor? How would we invest in these places where the need is the highest? As one of my colleagues reminded me of my own words: What would good news look like for the poor in Cairo? Ram Allah? Or pick any country in the 10/40 or global south. For that matter, what would good news look like for children in Dallas who are poor?

Here is my point! Those interested in church planting and evangelism in the 10/40 window can look to Buckner as a leading collaborator for these areas. In fact, we met with Pastor Chip Riggs of Las Vegas who has developed a network of churches who want to impact Egypt with the gospel, the whole gospel, over a long period of time.

We are developing Economic Development Strategies for use in the 10/40 and the Global South. Stay tuned…

Comments

[Tim Dahl]

This sounds encouraging.

I just finished Campolo's, "Speaking My Mind." He brings up some thoughts about how to really help the poor. He lamented how early on in his ministry they did stuff that actually a worsened the problem. He spoke about missions trips to build schools, where they literally brought over everything that was needed...materials, tools, people for the work. He said that it would imprint upon the locals that they couldn't do it for themselves, and that they needed the foreigners to come in and do for them. Now, they try to use as many locals as possible. They try to hire local work crews so that jobs are utilized. They try to use local materials, again so that money is put into the system there, helping the people of the region. It also gives them a great sense of self-accomplishment.

That book was a real eye-opener for me.

I think there is a lot of things we can be about that helps the poor, both locally and globally. But, I think we will have to be a little more imaginative concerning it.

Tim

[Albert Reyes]

Tim, you are exactly on point. Buckner hires indigenous leadership in every country it hss work. We also utlize the local resources to enhance the lives of those who live there. We are there to serve them in contextually appropriate ways. We are more focused on empowerment and replication. This was a good word.